U.S. Women Take Down Russia, 4-1, in U-19 World Championship, Next Face Spain

NewsNov 16, 2004

Americans All But Through to Quarterfinals With Win; USA Will Finish First in Group C With Win or Draw in Final First-Round Match vs. Spain on Thursday, Nov. 18

PHUKET, Thailand (November 14, 2004) - The U.S. Under-19 Women's National Team got a goal less than two minutes into the match and scored another in the 25th minute to pace the team to a very professional 4-1 win over Russia in the team's second match of Group C play at the FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship on Sunday in front of almost 9,000 fans at Sarakul Stadium. After giving up a quick goal at the start of the second half, the USA scored two goals just three minutes apart midway through the second half to put the game away. It was second match of Group C for both teams at the FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship.

The win puts the USA in control of the group and all but clinches a quarterfinal berth with one first-round match left to play against Spain on Thursday, Nov. 18 (5 p.m. local / 5 a.m. ET). A win or a draw in that match will give the USA first place in the group and a match in the quarterfinals against the third-place team from Group A or B. (The only way the U.S. can be elminated from advancement involves a complicated scenario in which the team would have to drop to third place and lose by a very large number of goals on Thursday.)

Midfielder Angie Woznuk once again had a magnificent match for the USA, scoring once (on a penalty kick) and setting up two more goals. Unlike in the match against South Korea, when the USA failed to convert several golden chances, the Americans made the most of their scoring opportunities on the night, firing 14 shots, putting nine on goal and four in the net.

U.S. head coach Mark Krikorian made two changes to the lineup that faced the Koreans in the first match, inserting Jessica Rostedt at forward and Yael Averbuch in the holding midfielder spot while moving Stephanie Logterman to the left flank. Rostedt, a high school senior, paid immediate dividends on her coach's investment, creating the first goal while scoring the second and the third in her first world championship match.

Just 40 seconds into game, literally on the USA's first possession and first attack, Woznuk collected the ball just over midfield, spun toward goal and played a ball on the ground to Rostedt who was cutting behind the Russian defense. Rostedt stepped past the first defender with a perfect touch and raced into the right side of the penalty area, cut back against the grain and was upended by Russia captain Elena Semenchenko. Wonzuk then stepped up and buried her second penalty kick in as many games to make it 1-0 after 100 seconds.

Rostedt gave the Russian defense fits all match, getting fouled twice in the first 10 minutes and was also sent flying by a beaten Semenchenko in the penalty area soon after the first penalty kick. The Russian sweeper hip-checked her to the ground on what could have been another penalty, but was probably too close to the first one to be whistled.

Russia had good possession throughout the match, and created some danger through their rhythm, but could only find small slivers of space in the U.S. defense. Russia took just four shots in the first half, but all were on goal, and U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was kept busy. The most dangerous chance came in the 15th minute when Svetlana Tsidikova cracked a shot from distance that forced Harris to fly backwards and push it off the crossbar with a brilliant save before defender Rachel Buheler was able to clear it away.

The USA struck again in the 25th minute as Woznuk pushed through a tackle about 40 yards from the net and struck a perfect ball on the ground that beat four Russian defenders at once, including the sliding Semenchenko. Rostedt made a perfect run onto the ball and then slid to pound her shot into the net from eight yards out past charging Russia goalkeeper Elvira Todua.

The U.S. team attacked well in the first half, but Russia was well organized in the back, playing a marking system with a sweeper, and while the Americans could only manufacture eight shots, they earned eight corner kicks as well.

Russia had a chance in the 29th minute off a scramble after a free kick from the right side, but Harris smothered the rolling ball. In the 38th minute Russia got a break when the ball skipped past the U.S. defense, creating a breakaway situation. Harris played it well, making the Russia forward cut back as she bundled into her, but the USA was fortunate not to be called for a penalty kick.

The sky opened up over Sarakul Stadium at the end first half, and while the hardest rain fell during halftime, the second half was played in a slippery mist.

The USA gave up a goal less than two minutes after the break as Elena Terekhova slipped through the midfield and played a pass behind the U.S. defense to Ekaterina Sochneva, who finished well with her left foot into the lower left corner from 16 yards out past the diving Harris.

The Russians seemed energized to find an equalizer, but in the 54th minute, Krikorian sent on Alexa Orand for Averbuch, moving Logterman back to the defensive midfield slot and the USA immediately took back control of the match.

The USA finished the game off with goals in the 60th and 62nd minutes, the first courtesy of Amy Rodriguez. The plucky forward ran down a quickly taken free kick on the left wing, burst into the box and hit a perfect cross to Rostedt, who beat Todeu to the ball and spectacularly volleyed home as she bravely gave up her body in a collision with the Russian 'keeper.

Megan Rapinoe came on for Rodriguez after the goal and scored just seconds later when Woznuk drove a free kick into the box from the right wing. The ball flew over Tadua and Rapinoe was there to bundle it into the net from close range.

Rostedt could have had at least two more goals in the match as she rounded the goalkeeper twice only to see her shots cleared off the line. Her 72nd minute chance would have been the goal of the tournament thus far as Rapinoe played a deft touch into Rostedt's path about 50 yards from the net as she was upended by a sliding Russia defender. On the full run, she blew past the entire Russian defense, dribbled around Todua, but did not have enough left to finish from a sharp angle and her shot was cleared away.

With the match in hand, the USA downshifted and possessed the ball extremely well to run out the clock.